THE BUSH LIFE

My tent cabin on the Kvechak River

The Bush Life

My old buddy "KAYAK"

Friday, April 11, 2014

Things are starting to get better

I pretty much think my boredom and laziness was caused from cabin fever and I decided it was time to remedy that. Yesterday, Thursday I figured it was time to get out and cut some wood so I would have some for those chilly mornings. I am pretty much out of firewood and don't want to spend $200 to $250 for a chord for which I don't need that much.

I woke up Thursday morning to about +12 degrees, added some wood to the stove to take the chill off.

As you can see, it is a nice chilly morning
Before I could cut trees, I had to clean and sharpen my chainsaw. Here I am cleaning it

Now it is time to sharpen it. I am marking it so I will know where to stop.

As many of you know, I have a small refrigerator that I use inside the cabin. Not using the generator all the time, I keep it cold inside using ice. If you look in the top left corner, you will see a bread pan that I freeze water in to keep it cold.
I have 2 of these pans and freeze them outside during the Winter, in the Summer, I put both of them if the freezer above when running the generator. It stays fairly cold.
It usually stays 38 to 40 degrees, the temp. dropped with the door open. Believe it or not, it's still not enough room. I will buy a bigger one when I can afford it.
I did raise the fridge to make access easier, I'm getting too old to keep bending over, LOL
Eventually, I will add shelving below it. I decided I needed a good hearty lunch when I am done cutting so, I decided on soup. I gathered all the ingredients using canned stuff.
That's right, canned beef. A friend gave me a bunch of cans. Although, I did decide against using it because, by the time I got to use it, the soup smelled so good I didn't need it. There was some fresh ingredients
Chopping celery
Peeling an onion, no tears cause I'm tough
Breaking up spaghetti for the soup
Boiling the celery, onions and spaghetti, it smelled good enough to eat by itself. You can almost smell it looking at it
Opening the diced tomatoes with my new opener.This one is really cool, doesn't leave sharp edges like my old one.
YUCK
Anyway, after adding all the ingredients and simmering while I cut wood, it turned out delicious.
Out cutting wood
Afterwards, came in for that hearty soup, without the meat. Cut me a couple hunks of Everything Bread to dip.

Sitting in my recliner having soup and watching Days of our lives, LOL.
This was the high for that day and Sunset

Not boring...really not at all. Love the look of the soup, although I'm a meat eater and eat veggies when I have to. LOL. I can't wait to see what my garden gives me this yr. I'm hoping to have some really good and tasty veggies this yr. I can't stand the tasteless junk the store sells. That may be the reason I can't stand veggies any longer.

the soup looks yummy. (I would have added the meat, but I'm wild that way. lol) do you have a cabin similar to this in your remote location? do you plan to live there eventually? or do yu just go when it's warmer? loved the pictures as always. Debi

Thanks Debbie, Yeah, I should have added the meat. Now and then, it's good to eat healthy. Actually, my remote cabin is smaller but, will add on to it this Summer. I plan to make my remote cabin my home and use the town cabin for when I go to town.

John that soup looks down right yummy! I do believe we do get cabin fever after a long winter. A sharp chainsaw is a good chainsaw...lol. I can't wait to see your remote cabin and read how life is there. Keep posting it is not boring at all to read about a persons life in the north.Carol

Hiya John looks like you've been busy geting things in order.Glad to hear your chipper voice again and that your feeling much better..Just wanted to drop by and wish you a "Happy Easter"... take care my friend. Bert from Bama :)

We have been busy lately with new chick babies, new bunny babies and setting up a new garden system. If it works I should be able to grow a pot load of food in a small space as well as it will be easily (so to speak) to move, so where ever I go I can set it back up and grow what ever I want. It would even be transportable and useful and productive in a remote situation.

Keep us posted how your doing. Missing some new posting. Spring has sprung...

Hi Wash, sounds like you will be busy and have fun, I haven't posted in awhile out of laziness and other reasons. I can't seem to get my motor started. Hopefully soon, things will change. Snow is melting fast here.

Ya the snow is pretty much gone here as well as the skeeter infested puddles. I'm having to put water out for the critters it is so dry. I spent the afternoon cleaning up and readying the garden area...it is no where near ready to plant but it should be in a month with lots of seedlings sprouted and ready to repot into their new homes for the summer. My goal is to plant as much as I can in the smallest area I can to produce a years worth of food if I can. While I still have this place, I'm wanting to try out this system, if it works, it is portable so I can take it with me and re set it up where ever I go.

Hiya John seems like you've got what I have lol my get up and go has got up and went symdrome.Maybe its the long dreary winter that's lingering on im sure it has not one thing to do with aging ;( When will you be going to your remote cabin?You got things in order to leave yet?Did you ever get any reports on your test results?LOL this is just chuck full of questions isn't it ...but trying to catch up on conversation.Hope your Easter was a good one spent mine in bed with some kind of yucky virus.Better now been out getting my screened porch ready for summer siting out on.Love to sit out with my tea and listen to music or read and relax.Seems like I have really conquered the relaxing part quite well.Well my friend stay safe,stay well,and keep in touch...your friend always bert from bama

Hi Bert, glad you're feeling better. Got those in between dooldrums, can't seem to get motivated just yet. I plan around the middle of June to go out. I think I have everything ready but, you are never ready.

Hi! Hope things are looking up, it sure was a long and cold winter. We dug a batch of leeks and cooked a pot of ham and leeks today. The old timers always said that was a spring tonic! Lol more ways than one, and you get outside and start digging and then you can't wait to get the garden in! Do you have leeks in AK? I have a feeling not. Well take care and enjoy that sunshine! KC

Wow - so glad I found your blog! Traveling to Alaska someday is on my bucket list, and it sounds like you are living a wonderful life! My husband and I are in the process of developing our future homestead in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of Northern California. We will be off grid but will be living with solar and wind power, so we will still have TV, computer, etc. I am learning how to can, garden, and take care of chickens! I am certainly going to check back on your blog often because it seems I can learn a lot from you! Thanks John.

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About Me

I am just a simple guy who enjoys living a simple life. I like living a back to basic lifestyle in a wilderness setting. I am also searching for a better half to enjoy living in a Nature setting and enjoying life.